Explosive compound.



. to the volatile character of the oil, and to the nivrrnn snares rarnnir onrrcni;

FRANK H. BRIGGS, DFPAINESVILLE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN DYNALITE COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

nxrLosrvr. COMPOUND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, FRANK H. BRIGGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Painesville, in the county of Lake and. State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Explosive Compounds, of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description.

One of. the most efficient explosives, especially for blasting purposes, is known as rack-a-rock. It is made of chlorate of potash and nitro-benzol, commonly known as mirbane oil. Thisexplosivehas not gone into very extensive use, because, after it is compounded, it rapidly deteriorates, owing fact that the chlorate is not an eflicient ab-' sorbent of the .oil. In order to use rack-arock eflicientlyit is usually mixedor compounded on the job -so to say. That is to say, it compounded at the place of use and immediately before it is to be used. It

is only in exceptional cases where this requirement can be satisfactorily or conveniently carried out, and for this reason the use of rock-wreck has been very limited. Of course, such a mixture might be preserved in hermetically sealed packages, but the cost of so packing the mixture adds an expense which is an important factor commercially. Moreover, when such compound is so packed and sealed, it is necessaryto use the entire contents of the package when it has once been opened to avoid loss. Here tofore no means have been devised for rendering an explosive compound .of chlorate of potash and mirbane oil a commercial commodity.

The present invention is a commercial compound having, as its active chemical con stituents, chlorate of potash nd mirbane oil, which will not only keep for a long time without material deterioration, but which, while equally efficient, is cheaper pound for pound than rack-a-rock, and has certain other advantages hereinafter men- 1 tioned.

wit:112 pounds of chlorate of potash, 35 pounds mirbane oil, and 24; pounds of the pulverized slate. \Vhen these ingredients Fatented Sept. 28, 19nd. Applicationfiled February 18, 1907. Serial No. 358,080.

are thoroughly mixed, the oil is absorbed by the slate, and therefore evaporates so slowly that-the compound does not materially deteriorate, if kept under easily arranged conditions. For example, it is thoroughly practical to preserve the explosive for a long time in packages having parafiin paper wrap e'rs.

In the d scribed compound there is a greater proportion of oil than has heretofore been used in making rack-a-rock, or; in other explosives made up of the chlorate and oil alone. It is possible to use the greater proportion of oil because the oil is for most part absorbed by the slate. If an equal proportion of oil were used with the chlorate alone the resultant mixture would have less explosive force, and would act too slowly for the greatest efficiency. The described.

oil and chlorate alone.

Another advantage of the describedcompound over rack-a-rock is that it may-be more conveniently used in the cold weather. A mixture of the chlorate and oil alone will become very hard in cold weather, so hard that it cannot be easily disintegrated, nor can a hole be easily made in it for the reception 'of the exploder. The compound.

herein described and claimed, however, is

very friable when solidified by cold. It

.be easily disintegrated, and the explosive hole may be easily made therein.

It will be understood that the absorbent is not used for the purpose of rendering the explosive less dangerous to handle; nor is it used to make it any easier to handle. The physical properties of rack-a-rock and the explosive herein described are very much alike. Each is an oily plastic mass. The absorbent is used for the primary purpose of preventing volatiliaati'on of the oil and consequent rapid deterioration of the explo- .ful explosive consisting of a mixture of the r sive, as hereinliefm'e suggested. It is ,also potash, inirbane oil and pulverized slate in used because the resultant is a cheaper exsubstantially the proportions specified. l plosive of equal power. It is also used for In testimony whereof, I hereunto allix my the purpose of broadening the field of usesiglmlure in the presence of two witnesses.

5 fullness of the explosive. FRANK H. BRIGGS,

Having described my invention, I claim: Amerchantable explosive compound consisting of an intimate mixture of chlorate of Witnesses E. L. THURSTON, F. B. GiLonms'r. 

